Ghost Foul!

Dwayne (6), Jimer (6), kyley (7), JT (7), Ruddy (7), Faulkner, (6) Tony (6), Gavin (6) (Sub: Shevlin 83mins 6,), Barber (5) (Sub: Leroy 72mins 5,), Jenks (5), Cush (8). Subs (not used): Steeky, Maggers, O. Kane.

Man of the match: Cush

Referee: Ian McNabb  3

Maybe it was because it was Halloween or maybe he just took pity on Rangers, who had been the most dangerous team throughout the game, but referee Ian McNabb, decided to award them a free-kick just outside the box, when Kyler seemed to win the ball fairly squarely. Despite the protests by the enraged United defenders, led by Captain Jimer, the referee stood his ground. But that was no justification for United to not line-up their defensive wall properly and Kane of Carrick managed to squeeze his free-kick around the ball and into the net, past the diving Dwayne.

United, before this goal, were in the ascendency, against the run of play it has to be said, leading  2-0, but its goals that count and despite lots of pressures, Carrick were shooting blanks. It should have been 3-1, when Faulkner blasted over when well placed, instead of working the keeper and United were made to pay for his benevolence in front of goal and how. Spike, named the same team as that which did duty at Seaview, but there's a vast difference in the playing surfaces between the plastic pitch at Seaview and the Loughshore Bog, laughingly called the Loughshore Arena.

I've seen leveller ploughed fields in my time, than the Taylors Avenue pitch and its not a pitch for good football, but its the same for both teams and Carrick adapted best to the conditions, but they are used to them, but it was foolhardy of Glenn to pick the Barber instead Maggers, who would have revelled in these conditions. He also left young Matty, who is due to go to Glasgow Celtic this incoming week, for a trial, kicking his heels on the bench. Surely it would have been better, to start with a team capably of winning the points, than a team struggling to get anything going with their passing game.

Barely two mins had elapsed when JT, lost his footing in the bog near the halfway line, its usually the goal-mouths that are boggy, but in Carrick's case the whole pitch is boggy and Chines was through on goal. He tried to cut inside as kyley, got back to cover, but the big defender managed to touch the ball off Chines and it ran through to Dwayne. Five minutes later, in the 7th minute to be precise, Faulkner, headed the ball to Jenks, but with the goal at his mercy United's former Captain, blasted the ball wide. Omar was livid at this miss for he had 7 mins on his First goal card and it was a horrendous miss it has to be said.

Cush, then had a chance, saved by Neeson, the Carrick keeper, but what part of his anatomy I couldn't say for sure, but he got a touch to deny Cush. Then Carrick created a chance, but Traynor could only fire over when well placed, a let off for United. Tony, set up Jenks on the right and his cross found Cush, running in and he blasted the ball in typical fashion only for Kane, of Carrick to block a near certain goal. The lino at the end where United were defending, Taylors Avenue end, that I know only too well, had already missed two blatant offsides and from one of these Carrick won a fortuitous, free-kick.

When this free-kick came in, Dwayne, seemed to be fouled but the ref astonishley gave Carrick a corner. There followed a bit of Carrick pressure but luckily United survived this onslaught. The Lino missed a blatant offside near halftime when former United player Sparky, found Chines with a header with the United defenders two yards away, but the flag stayed down. Dwayne, rushed from his goal and Chines decided to lob the keeper, but he missed the target and United survived to halftime.

2nd half
United were out early with no changes their line-up but I expected there would be changes soon. Jenks, had an early chance but he missed the target, claiming that keeper Neeson, had got a touch. But nobody else saw it except Jenks, maybe it was the first appearance of the Carrick Ghost, but I thought it was supposed to haunt the castle, maybe at Halloween its allowed to haunt the bog that is Loughshore Arena and it was to appear later on in the game with disastrous consequences for United.

But I digress, it was the turn of the Lino at the Leisure centre end to miss a blatant offside, when the appropriately Adam Dick  (Dick Turpin),  bore down on goal, maybe the Lino thought the Ghost was playing him on, but he shot straight at Dwayne and Carrick were to pay heavily for this miss. JT, under pressure cleared the ball up-field and over the Carrick defence. Cush held off his marker Kane of Carrick and rifled the ball into to net despite the despairing dive of keeper Nesson, to give United the lead 1-0.

Kane, was beaten once again when he missed a long ball from United Captain Jimer and it fell to the unmarked Faulkner. He unselfishly, passed the ball to Cush, who rounded Neeson and planted a right-foot shot in the back of the net to give United a two goal lead, 2-0. That goal was scored with about 25mins left in the the match and I thought Spike had got to act and get a defender on or a holding midfielder but alas he thought otherwise and we paid the price for this oversight.


With 71 mins gone Kyley, rose highest to a long ball out of defence from keeper Neeson and he was amazed as anybody when the ref awarded a free kick as he won the header fairly and squarely. But the ref was adamant and Kane of Carrick, who had been the last man in United's two goals, curled a delightful free-kick round the United wall to narrow the deficit to 2-1 in United favour. At last Spike, acted bringing off the Barber and bringing on of all people, Leroy Millar. No harm to Leroy, we needed a defender on, or a midfield tackler, not an attacking midfielder-cum-striker.

United spurned another chance, when Cush, played in Faulkner, but he blasted over instead of working the keeper. United were to pay dearly for this miss, when after Jimer, had let a cross come in, Dwayne chose to punch the ball and it fell at Roy's feet and his shot took a deflection, to end up in the back of the net. Three minutes later, Spike, took off Gavin and brought on young Matty, but it was Carrick who were striving for the winner, but luckily we survived but only just.

Despite three mins of added time the match ended in a draw, which left the Sky Blues locked with the Ducks in the league table in joint eight, but the Ducks have a superior goal difference, so we are down in 9th officially. When we were going out of the ground, Sammy said alluding to the Shield draw that was taking place at half five, we didn't want to be drawn away at Carrick or Larne. A home draw would suit us best or an away tie at Windsor, alas we got an away tie at Larne, but that's in a months time, we have some league points to amass in the meantime and a cup tie against our dear neighbours, the Coleraine scum, going be a trying month of November!